Friday, October 9, 2020

Notebook: Looking ahead to the 2021 Draft

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs
With the 2020 NHL Draft finally over, it's time to start looking ahead to 2021.

2020 was a pretty good draft for the Saint John Sea Dogs with Jeremie Poirier going in the third-round and William Villeneuve in the fourth. 2021 could be just as good if not better for the Sea Dogs.

The Sea Dogs have a strong 2003-born draft class, highlighted by Joshua Roy, Peter Reynolds and Cam MacDonald.

In Scott Wheeler's pre-season top 32 (hello, Seattle!) for the 2021 NHL Draft posted on The Athletic, Roy was ranked 22nd - one slot ahead of Halifax Mooseheads forward Zachary L'Heureux.

"He’s an excellent puck possession player who can win battles, keep plays alive, and create off the cycle," wrote Wheeler. "Now I just want to see him do some more damage off the rush."

Roy has a goal and an assist in two games this season.

GOOD PICKS
The Toronto Maple Leafs, who selected Sea Dogs defenseman William Villeneuve in the fourth-round, were among Scott Wheeler's winners of the 2020 NHL Draft.

"His offensive package reminds me of Evan Bouchard (though with less upside, obviously), in that he’s constantly producing near the top of his age group without ever really looking like he’s a dynamic player," wrote Wheeler his piece on The Athletic. "And his defensive game, despite a mediocre stride, is already pretty polished. The numbers alone should’ve made him a no-brainer at least a round earlier. The Leafs clearly believe they can help him get quicker."

Wheeler labelled the Calgary Flames, who picked Dogs d-man Jeremie Poirier in the third-round, as an overtime winner.

"He might be the most purely talented defenceman in the draft with the puck on his stick," Wheeler wrote. "And though there are legitimate concerns about how he manufactures that offence (by giving up too much defensively), I’ll take that bet where they took it every time."

COVID UPDATE
Thursday was another bad day for the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League on the COVID-19 front.

The league confirmed that eight members of the Sherbrooke Phoenix have tested positive. The Phoenix played the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, who have had 18 team members test positive, last weekend.

Drummondville, meanwhile, is reportedly heading towards being labelled a red zone, which would put a pause on all sporting events.
Quebec City and Boisbriand are currently in red zones, which has forced the teams to postpone games for the rest of the month.

QMJHL commissioner Gilles Courteau spoke about the subject yesterday.

MHL UPDATE
There were a couple of notable trades in the Maritime Hockey League on Wednesday.

The Yarmouth Mariners have traded former Sea Dogs defenseman Brendan Sibley to the Edmundston Blizzard. Sibley, 19, appeared in 30 games with the Mariners last season and 14 with the Sea Dogs.

In another deal, another former Sea Dogs defenseman was moved. The Valley Wildcats traded the 19-year-old d-man Carson Gallant to the Truro Bearcats. Gallant played in 32 games with Saint John in 2018-19.

CAJKOVIC IN SLOVAKIA
Maxim Cajkovic, who the Sea Dogs traded to the Val-d'Or Foreurs at this summer's QMJHL Entry Draft, has begun playing with the Bratislava Capitals in Slovakia as he awaits for border restrictions to loosen.

The 19-year-old has an assist in two games so far. He recorded 18 goals and 24 assists in 56 games with the Sea Dogs last season.

According to JF Plante of Le Droit, Cajkovic will be allowed to leave the Capitals to join the Foreurs when the time comes (fingers crossed). 

VELENO ON THE MOVE
Former Sea Dogs captain Joe Veleno has been loaned by the Detroit Red Wings to the Malmo Redhawks of the Swedish league.
The 20-year-old joins many other high end AHL players heading overseas to get playing time. Veleno, playing his first season of professional hockey, recorded 11 goals and 12 assists in 54 games with the Grand Rapids Griffins last year.
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